Chinese authorities seize iPads over trademark infringement

Chinese officials seized 45 iPads in response to a trademark complaint filed recently by Proview International Holdings over the iPad name, reports the Hebei Youth Daily. The tablets were seized from store locations within Shijiazhuang, the capital of the Hebei province in northern China. In April 2010, Apple sued Proview claiming ownership of the iPad trademark in China. On November 17th, however, the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court rejected Apple’s claims, leading the Cupertino-based company to appeal the ruling to the Higher People’s Court of Guangdong province. Proview registered the iPad trademark in various countries as early as 2000, with the the Shenzhen-based unit having registered the trademark in China in 2001. Apple began selling the iPad in China in 2010.